Puella Magi Vampire Magica
by Axius27
Summary: After the death of her family, Kyouko Sakura just wanted to be left alone. However, fate is cruel to vampires like her, and its plans cannot be escaped so easily... Inspired by "The Different Story", but with Vampires :P
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is what happens when I have a dream while really sick about a Vampire/Madoka Magica crossover, and then consider that Kyouko's teeth are way too pointy to be real.**

 **Enjoy :D**

* * *

A chill air filled the streets of Kazamino City. Thick clouds drowned the city in darkness, blocking out the stars and diffusing the moon's glow. The people had vanished back into their homes, closing their curtains and locking their doors, attempting to keep the heat in and the darkness out.

For in the darkness of Kazamino, monsters lurked.

It was inevitable, really. Where humans congregated, the evils of the world soon followed. Witches cursing the world with their despair from within their labyrinthian paradises; Familiars taking their first steps towards driving the weak-willed to madness; Wraiths, their numbers so small that they had been forgotten by all but a few, gorging off their victims' emotions in silent gluttony.

And then there were creatures that were a lot less innocent.

One such creature sat in the attic of a building, peering out a window through the fog. It could sense a Witch to the west, sending its curse out for everyone willing to hear it. The creature paid it no mind, instead focusing its attention on the church in the distance. Before, shouts and screams had echoed from the building. Now, as flames began to flash within the building, they had fallen silent. It was done.

The creature closed its eyes, breathing in the air. Yes… it could almost taste the blood in the wind. Two adults, one child. Their blood had been spilt, desecrating that sacred place. But it was more than that. One of the adults, a man, had lost his faith at the end. He had betrayed the ideals he held to so strongly. And now…

A whimper came from behind the creature. It turned, looking at the tied up teenager in the corner. Not so long ago, she had been an addict, her blood poisoned by narcotics. It had stalked her for weeks, watching her behaviour, her habits, waiting for the optimal time to strike. And then she joined the _Sakura Church_ , their accurst magic digging into her. Suddenly she was a girl of faith, shielded from its touch. It had all been wasted effort, until tonight.

It stepped towards the girl, and cautiously extended a hand towards her. She flinched back, away from its fingers, but that only excited the creature. Almost faster than any human could possibly see, it grabbed the side of her face, pulling her forward. The teenager looked up at it, eyes filled with fear, her pale face contrasting with its own grey skin. Slowly, it dug one of its claws into the girl's cheek, applying more and more pressure until it drew blood.

Then it released her, letting the teen fall to the ground. The creature raised its hand to its face, examining the red liquid as it rolled down its finger. It was true. The curse of the Sakura Church had been broken with the death of the priest. This girl was no longer bewitched by his magic. It bared its teeth, revealing its long fangs. And now, _she was at its mercy._

A shift in the air flowed into the room. The creature froze, sensing someone moving–no, running–towards the church. It went back to the window, trying to spot the intruder. It was too soon, far too soon! If someone reached the church now, then it would be disastrous!

The new person's scent reached the creature. Strong, intoxicating, powerful blood. The creature relaxed. It was a Puella Magi. An older one, with over a year behind her. Completely different from the blood of the local Puella Magi, who was still relatively new and weak. It could see her now, her blonde hair standing out in the darkness, heading quickly through the mist.

Briefly, it considered ambushing the girl, but quickly dismissed the idea. There was no way she knew what had happened inside the church, and there was no way that she would be able to steel herself against what she was about to find. It would break her. Even if she managed to emerge with her psyche intact, the constant guilt and questioning what she could have done differently to prevent their deaths would haunt her until it turned her gem black. Puella Magi were powerful, but such fragile creatures.

It turned back to the terrified teenager. Besides, the creature did not want to fight tonight, if it ever came down to it. It was tired. It was hungry.

It wanted to feed.

* * *

 **Two years later**

Kyouko walked through the snow-filled graveyard. She normally avoided this place, and coming here had cut deeply into her time tonight. She should not have come, she shouldn't have wasted the effort to come to this end of town. Only bad memories lurked here.

But today was important. She had to come here today.

Finally, she found the familiar gravestone. They were the last ones placed here, no-one else had wanted anything to do with the Sakura Church after what had happened. In a way, it felt right; the church's most devout member being the last one buried here.

She stared at the gravestone with the name _Sakura_ emblazoned at the top and the names of her father, her mother, and Momo below. Silently, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a Cherry Blossom. It had been hard to find one this far out of season, and it wasn't like she could just walk into a greenhouse and take one. But it had been worth the effort.

After brushing off some snow, she placed the Cherry Blossom on top of the gravestone. Almost absently, she looked to the side, past the graves and to the burnt-out shell that was once her home. One day, she might work up the courage to go back in there. But not today. She didn't have the will or the time.

Kyouko turned and briskly walked out of the graveyard. She was late, very late. It was already long past midnight, and she needed to be back before sunrise. Hopefully, she would get lucky tonight, otherwise she'd have to hunt again tomorrow

She pulled her ring off her finger and placed it in her palm. Pushing a small amount of magic into it, it transformed into a glowing red gem. Her Soul Gem, the conduit that gifted her with magic in exchange for a single wish. Or so Kyubey had said.

Looking around, she wondered if that rat was watching her. They hardly spoke anymore, Kyubey only showing up to collect her spent Grief Seeds and leaving without another word. Was he angry with her? Disappointed? No, both of those were unlikely. The problem was with her, not with him. The Master didn't like her talking with Incubators.

Kyouko closed her eyes and opened herself up to her magic. She felt her senses expand outwards, stripping away her surroundings and exposing the magic behind it all. Far away, across the river, she could sense a witch. Large, powerful, perfect for extracting a Grief Seed. But she could not cross that river. Not only was that something she was not physically capable of doing, past the river was Mitakihara. That was not her turf.

Besides, she had a number of Grief Seeds already. That wasn't what she was looking for today.

She focused her attention away from Mitakihara, back into Kazamino. She looked past the buildings, searching for what she needed. She could see the people inside the buildings, sleeping seemingly without a care. She could see another Witch, moving away from her looking for a good place to lay a trap. She could see a man in a dark suit, standing on the edge of a road, likely waiting for a taxi after a long night. After a moment, she located a Familiar, hiding within a labyrinth that barely warped the surrounding alley. It was barely broadcasting its curse, its attention purely focused inside itself. It was perfect.

Kyouko put her hands in the pockets of her jacket, trying to get her hands away from the chilly night air. The snow was hanging around late again this year. While it wasn't heavy, only a light dusting a centimeter or two thick, it was still too cold for her liking. It was always too cold for her liking.

As Kyouko entered the alley, she inhaled the air, taking in the various scents. Her hunch was correct, someone _had_ passed through here and vanished into the labyrinth. She pulled her hand out of her pocket and swung it out, her Soul Gem flashing red in the darkness. Rainbow light covered her body as she walked into the alley, the walls twisting and folding over themselves while her red dress materialised around her. She breathed in again, this time taking in air that was stale, dry, devoid of substance. And no more than thirty metres away was the scent of the missing person.

She continued her stride as she summoned her spear, keeping her pace steady. Ahead, the twisting alley bent around and revealed the Familiar: small, weak, buzzing above the ground on wings that were far too small for it. It turned an eye to her, before increasing its buzzing and flying higher, out of her reach. And below it was her target, a middle-aged woman, unconscious, eyes unfocused, and completely at her mercy.

Kyouko closed the distance between them and knelt down in front of the woman, keeping her eyes constantly on the Familiar above her. It would just be embarrassing if it bit her head off while she was distracted. She waved a hand in front of the woman's glazed eyes. No response. Everything looked perfect.

The Familiar buzzed loudly above her, spiralling downwards cautiously. Kyouko stood and swung her spear menacingly at it. The buzzing grew louder, then the Familiar turned and began to fly down the alley, disappearing in the twists and turns in an instant. She didn't bother chasing it down. It was done feeding off the woman, but was not strong enough to become a witch yet. In a week or so, she would deal with it, when it had a Grief Seed to take.

Dissipating her spear, she picked up the woman, and began to walk in the opposite direction. This was the difficult part. She needed to concentrate on bringing this woman out with her. While she was still technically alive, she was also so close to death that she risked becoming part of the labyrinth herself. That wouldn't do. Kyouko continued walking, keeping her thoughts focused on the woman in front of her, her fangs already beginning to ache.

Finally, the alley began to straighten out, its geometry returning to normal and the chill night air biting at her grey skin. Exhaling, Kyouko knelt down and placed the woman on the ground. It was time to see if this woman was worth all the trouble. Slowly, she examined her. She was still breathing, that much was obvious, but her eyes were still staring blankly at nothing, even without the curse to keep her under.

Kyouko snapping her fingers above her head, trying to draw out a response, then reached for her magic and tried to use her limited healing ability on her. Still nothing. She reached down and moved her head to expose her neck, revealing the unnatural mark that still hadn't vanished. Kyouko shook her head, unsurprised. She had seen it too many times before. The witch had trapped her in that labyrinth for far too long. Her mind was gone. She was practically dead.

And it made her the perfect prey for a vampire like her.

 _Kill her. Tear through her skin and rip apart her flesh. Her blood is yours and yours alone!_

Kyouko drew in a sharp breath, placing her hand against the alley wall to try her best to stop herself from shaking. It took all of her willpower to keep herself away from the woman. Not yet, not here. The sun would be rising soon, she had to get back undercover first. And then there was the Master to think about. He was expecting her tribute untouched.

After a minute, she managed to get a grip on herself. She looked at the woman again, then reached down and started rolling up her sleeve. Maybe she could just drink a little of her blood. She was a vampire, after all, what was wrong with a quick bite. Just enough to keep her sated. She could see a vein under her skin, pulsing with blood with every heartbeat. Just a few drops.

A sharp pain shot through her arm as she dug her own claws into her palm. No, NO! She couldn't let herself give into her desires like that! If she did, she would never stop. She would kill, and keep killing, _forever_. She would not let that happen; she refused to give in just to get a little blood from some suicidal woman.

Eventually, she managed to quiet the voice in her head urging her on. No, she would not give in to her vampiric instincts today. She was still Kyouko Sakura and she was still in control. Shaking her head, she bent over to pick the woman back up. It was time to head back.

Kyouko almost didn't hear the click behind her, but it was enough to send all her senses onto high alert. Slowly, she stood up, raising her hands and beginning to turn. She knew that sound all too well, and was not surprised to see the blonde girl standing at the end of the alley. "You're on the wrong side of the river, Mami."

Mami Tomoe took a step forward, keeping her musket trained on Kyouko. "Did you think that I would just… _let_ you kill that woman?"

Kyouko kept her eyes on Mami, trying to take in as much of her surroundings as possible. "She still has a _Witch's kiss_. She's already dead."

"YOU CAN'T KNOW THAT!" Mami yelled. "What gives you the right to kill her?!"

There was an old fire escape next to Mami, on her right. If Kyouko made a break for the roof, Mami would be on her in an instant. The only way she was getting out of this was to throw Mami off balance, make her lose focus long enough to get away with her prize. "Why are you in Kazamino, _senpai?_ "

Mami blinked at the honorific, clearly not expecting it. "I'm… I'm STOPPING you!"

"Why? You never cared before," Kyouko replied, throwing some snark into her voice. This was easier than she thought.

"I… I have to!" Mami yelled, her voice trembling slightly. "You have to be killed! You are real, you are a threat! You have to be stopped!"

Odd choice of words. Kyouko thought about pressing further, but decided not to push her luck. Mami was already agitated enough. "If you attack me, Mami, I will defend myself. I don't want to hurt you."

"You have to be stopped…" Mami repeated, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. A tremor went down her musket as her hands shook slightly. That was all she needed.

Kyouko leapt forward towards Mami. The musket fired, but the shot went wide and Kyouko easily sidestepped it, circling to Mami's left flank. She snarled, baring her fangs, and Mami, reacting instinctively, leapt back against the wall under the fire escape. Right where she wanted her.

Not wasting a second for Mami to recover, Kyouko drew upon her magic and raised her arm. Red diamond chains shot out of the ground around Mami, travelling only a short distance before connecting to the bottom of the fire escape, caging her. Kyouko summoned her spear, the segments separating and spiraling around her as they appeared, before flinging the spearhead though the newly created barrier towards Mami's head.

It would be so easy to kill her right now. Trapped against the wall, nowhere to run, no way to dodge, she could skewer her without a second thought. Every instinct in her body, natural and unnatural, told her to do it, screamed at her to kill the upstart that challenged her. Instead, Kyouko flicked the spear to the side. It shot past Mami's head, its sharp edge ripping through her hair and clipping the edge of the hair clip that contained her Soul Gem. The clip flew off Mami's head, the yellow gem glowing in the darkness as it was flung out of the cage into the snow.

Mami's body flashed and her magical girl costume disappeared, replaced by some light, ordinary clothes. With a soft thump, one of her drill curls fell from her head. She blinked as she processed what had just happened, before sliding down the wall to the ground, a shocked expression on her face. The fight didn't even last ten seconds.

Kyouko let out a deep breath, her hands trembling as the adrenaline shot through her, now unneeded. She turned and walked back towards the woman, still unconscious in the snow. "Go back to Mitakihara, Mami. Don't come back."

She lifted the woman onto her back, and began to walk out of the alley. As she passed Mami's Soul Gem, she thought about picking it up, but decided against it. The 'cage' would disappear within half an hour, and by then she'd be long gone. There was no need to torment her old teacher any further.

As she took another step towards the alley exit, Mami spoke. "I'll kill you. I swear, I _will_ kill you."

Kyouko stopped briefly, taking the words in. She did not doubt them. She deserved every bit of hatred Mami held against her.

She started walking again, leaving her former senpai trapped in the snow.

It didn't make her words hurt any less.


	2. Chapter 2

**This was actually nearly complete months ago, but I'm useless when it comes to finishing anything :/**

 **If you have any opinions on this story, positive or negative, please feel free to leave a review.**

* * *

Kyouko could feel the cold burn of the sunlight as she ran. Pinpricks of pain appeared across her body as the light pierced her clothing and ate away at her skin. Her hood bounced out of position and her scalp burned, her hair not enough to keep her head protected. Her uncovered hand slipped into the light, and it was as if they had been bathed in molten metal. Her body screamed, her insides boiled, and she bit back a shriek as she accelerated her sprint.

Then the door was in front of her. Kyouko flung out her arm and ripped the door open, slamming it behind her as she collapsed on the floor in the darkened room. Her breathing heavy, she unzipped her jacket to allow some of the acrid smoke to disperse, before examining her burnt hand. She was lucky, she could tolerate sunlight for a short amount of time and the only lasting effect would be some burnt skin. Most vampires wouldn't have lasted as long as she had.

Still panting, she looked over at where she had dropped the woman. Still unmoving, still unresponsive. A shame, if she had woken up, she could have easily overpowered her and escaped. This was her last chance to get away, and she was incapable of taking it. Slowly Kyouko stood up and walked over to her, before picking her back up and slinging her onto her back. Too late.

The room they were in was sparse, with a small dilapidated desk near the wall. This was the reception for an old warehouse building, forgotten and left to rot by its previous owners as Mitakihara's economic boom sapped the life out of its sister city. No one had been here in over a decade, and the warehouse was part of Kazamino's defunct industrial district that nobody knew what to do with. There wasn't a soul for over a kilometre.

It was the perfect hiding spot for a group of vampires to go unnoticed.

Kyouko carried her victim through the door to the warehouse's shadowy interior. The years had taken its toll on this place. Just a few weeks ago, a support beam had collapsed and fallen to the ground. She had to spend three days checking the roof for breaches after that before any of the thralls dared to go back up there. Not that she blamed them, they didn't have magic to shield them like she did. She'd seen a thrall get caught in direct sunlight when a curtain collapsed once. It hadn't been pretty.

A snarl came from above her. Kyouko rolled her eyes. Speak of the devil…

The thrall dropped in front of her and snarled. It's skin was grey with decay and contain little colour. Bone growths covering its face twisted its expression into a permanent scowl. Its ears were tattered, losing any semblance of a curve. It wore a few rags, but they covered little. Kyouko didn't know this one very well. Not including her, there were a total of three other thralls in this warehouse. She didn't know their names, and only one ever bothered speaking to her. It looked like the rest had gone mad a long time ago. According to the one that did speak, it was simply a matter of time before she became like them. The master just needed to spend a few years to 'break her in'.

Kyouko pushed the thought away. At this point, all that mattered was the thrall in front of her. It loomed over her, purposely making itself look as big as possible. Combined with the snarling, it was likely trying to intimidate her. Which meant it could only be after one thing...

The thrall put a hand out towards the woman. Kyouko quickly moved to the side and dodged the arm. The thrall snarled at her again, eyes glistening with hunger.

Kyouko snarled back, and through clenched teeth said, "Brandeis first."

The thrall took a step back at the name of the master. Then, it turned around and crawled back into the shadows.

Kyouko stared at it, then shook her head. They weren't any different. Not really. They were both monsters. The only difference was that its instincts controlled every action it took. She still resisted, and she would continue to resist. She wouldn't become an animal like it did, she refused to.

 _Break her in_. Yeah, maybe in a few years her resolve would fail. Maybe… but until then she still had some control over her thoughts. She would survive this hell.

She did worry about the bone growths though. She didn't have any yet, but they apparently started growing after about a decade. That put a time limit on things. She was disfigured enough already, thank you.

A clap rung out across the warehouse. Kyouko looked up and saw the Master, _Brandeis_ , standing on a catwalk above the factory floor, in front of the foreman's office where he had taken up residence. Unlike her or the thralls, his skin was a pale white, sunken slightly as it clung to his bones. His clothes were dark, but well made, far from the rags that dominated the rest of the ' _lesser vampires_ ', as he called them. He was more than them. He was a Higher Vampire, a creature of pure darkness.

He was the Master.

Brandeis made a motion with his head, and then turned and walked back into his quarters. The meaning was clear, and Kyouko had given up on disobedience long ago. She repositioned the woman on her back and walked towards the stairs.

It had been a while since Brandeis had wanted to talk to her in person. A few weeks, at least. She wondered what he wanted to talk about this time. He probably wanted to bark some orders at her, maybe force her to hurt herself again. She glanced at her arms, at the lines of scars that covered them. She'd thought that he'd gotten bored of inflicting pain on her though.

Maybe he wanted to let her go.

It was a foolish thought. After all, why would he. But it had been two years. Two years of torment in this body, two years of inflicting her to worse and worse tortures. If there was any chance that he would get bored of her and let her go, it had to be soon, right? She had to cling to that hope. There was nothing else she could do.

Finally she reached the top of the stairs. She walked over to the office door and lowered to woman to the ground. Taking a deep breath despite knowing that her lungs no longer functioned liked that, she knocked on the door.

The door opened slowly, without any noise or indication of a presence. Still, Kyouko felt the dread wash over her. She could practically sense the evil in that room. Barely calming her nerves, she took hold of the collar of the woman's shirt and dragged her inside, the door shutting behind them.

The office inself was dark, not that it mattered to her. A lot of the furnishings had been cleared save for a few chairs and a desk. On the far walls was a mirror, stretching from the floor to head height, fixed there by whoever owned this place before. Brandeis himself stood in the corner of the room. Kyouko let go of the room and dropped to the floor. "Master."

He turned. "Rise."

Kyouko stood back up, but kept her gaze low. The master preferred it when she did that.

"You had a run-in with one of the thralls," He said.

"Yes master."

"Do you know why he was angry with you?"

"No master." It was all Kyouko could do to keep herself from trembling.

"It was because you were late." Footsteps. Brandeis was coming towards her. "The sun is up, Kyouko. Why were you not here before then?"

"I-I was delayed, master." Kyouko inwardly cursed. She stuttered.

"Oh really?" Like a moth to a flame, he homed in on that weakness. "Tell me then, Kyouko, why were you delayed."

"I-"

"Ah, I understand." Brandeis interrupted. "I apologise, I'm afraid I don't follow the Gregorian Calendar very well. I forgot what day it was today."

He put a hand under her chin and raised her head to look straight into his golden eyes. "Today is the day you turned. Two years ago, you began your service at my side."

Kyouko was silent.

"It was also the day that fire claimed your family's lives, wasn't it. You visited their grave again, didn't you?" He said, his lips twisting.

"Y-yes master." She couldn't keep the tremble out of her voice.

"Do you miss them?" He asked.

Kyouko didn't answer.

 _Crack!_

Kyouko barely saw the hand move as it made contact with her face. She only felt the pain.

"I asked you a question. Do you _miss them?_ " Brandeis said, the hand under her chin suddenly turning into a tight grip around her neck.

"Yes!" Kyouko gasped. "I do!"

Brandeis let go of her and turned away. "Take off your shirt."

Kyouko blinked. "What?"

Brandeis turned back to her, his lips twisting wider. "I command you to take off your shirt."

Kyouko felt her limbs stiffen and begin moving. She didn't bother trying to resist, she knew that she couldn't disobey. She unzipped her jacket and slid it off her arms. Dropping that to the ground, she hooked her fingers under her tank top and pulled up. It slid up her body and over her head, before she dropped it to the ground too. Briefly, she wondered if she should attempt to cover herself, but decided not to. She didn't want to show any more weakness. There was nothing left to see, anyway.

"Good girl," Brandeis said, barely even looking at her. Then he grabbed her shoulders and roughly twisted her until she was looking straight at the mirror on the far wall. "Now. Tell me what you see."

Kyouko stared at the mirror. She knew what she _should_ see. She should see a girl with green-gray skin, like she had been bruised and beaten on every inch of her body. She should see the way her skin folded in over her ribs, how tightly stretched it was over her chest, covering everything like a thick, leathery hide. She should see her hands, her fingers closer to claws than digits now. She should see her own face, her jawline more angler and eyes golden. She should see dark red hair, messy and unwashed. And she should see her teeth, with her canines elongated into the fangs that marked her. She _should_ see a Vampire.

"Answer me. Tell me what you see," Brandeis repeated, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I… I see nothing," Kyouko finally answered, tearing her eyes away from the empty mirror. "I see nothing at all."

"Well done. I think you deserve a treat." Brandeis grabbed the woman by her collar and slid her towards Kyouko. "Drink. You get first blood this morning."

Kyouko knelt down in front of the woman. She could see her pulse still, pumping blood through her arteries. Kyouko lowered her mouth onto the woman's neck, and bit down. Her fangs dug through the woman's skin with ease and punctured her juglar. The warm liquid splashed her tongue and lips, filling the room with its scent. The metallic smell filled her nostrils, flooding her mind with the taste and blocking out everything else. She began to drink.

The warmth began slowly, beginning in her gums. Then it moved back, filling her face, shooting down her neck and into her heart. Feeling the warmth burning inside her, it spread throughout her body, touching every organ, every muscle, spreading all the way to her hands and feet. The warmth filled her to the brim, restoring feeling to her fingers, and soothing the aches in her bones. It was as if she was still alive.

Kyouko opened her jaw, releasing the woman. She stood and took a step back, getting a feel for her surroundings again with proper sensations. Then she looked down at the woman. Her neck was bleeding. It was slow, the wounds left by vampire bites were self-sealing, but it was enough for her neck to be stained red. She had gone pale, her breathing shallow and rapid. She wasn't going to live much longer, she had lost too much blood.

Kyouko dropped to her knees as guilt washed over her. _She_ had done that. She had just killed that woman. Sure, the labyrinth might have burned away her mind already, but she was still a human being. She was still a person. And for what? The warmth inside her was already beginning to fade and would be gone within a few days. A short high, at the cost of this woman's life. How could she be that far gone?

A hand rested on her shoulder. Kyouko looked up and saw Brandeis standing over her. "You are not that weakling girl anymore Kyouko. Leave her to die. She is _nothing_. _You are nothing._ Do you understand?"

Kyouko swallowed, before speaking, her gaze falling back on the woman. "Y-yes ma-aster."

Brandeis removed his hand and knelt over the dying woman. He inhaled, before his face twisted in disgust. "Poor, weak blood. Practically no soul to it at all. I have grown weary of your attempts to sate your conscience through these… empty shells. You are so close to being perfect, and yet, you are still hindered by your pitiful morality. It is time that you discarded that weakness. In three weeks, I want to to bring me a tribute untouched by those witches. Someone… young, with plenty of life left in them. That is all."

Kyouko stared at the woman as her breath stilled. Her death was painless, almost peaceful. Her next victim wouldn't be like that. They would die screaming.

She stood up and walked towards the door, barely even thinking as she reached down and retrieved her jacket and shirt. "Yes... master."

* * *

It felt wrong being at school today.

The teacher was up the front of the class, talking in her usual roundabout manner about the english language and her love life. The students were taking notes, some making comments to each other. They just continued living their lives, like nothing was wrong, like everything was fine.

Mami wondered if they would behave the same if they knew what she knew. That monsters, real, physical monsters, lurked in every alley, every shadow, just waiting for any of them to slip up and be taken. That every step they took was a potential brush with death? Would they even bother coming here, learning the words of a foreign language of a far away group of nations? Or would they hide themselves away, refuse to go out, and hope that the monsters wouldn't find them?

The bell rang, and the students began to get up to leave. Maybe, on some level, they did know and were simply refusing to look. But she did look, she did see the monsters. And she couldn't just let them hurt these people. Not while she was protecting them. Last night, she had danced with death, and lost. That would never happen again.

"Miss Tomoe, could you see me a moment?" The teacher asked.

Mami blinked, suddenly pulled out of her thoughts, but nodded and obediently stayed behind as all the other students filed out of the class. After the last student left, she walked up to the teacher's desk and bowed her head. "Is there something you wanted, Sensei Saotome?"

The older woman nodded at her. "Your hair. Or rather, your lack of it."

 _Oh_. The reality of the fight last night sunk in, and Mami suddenly realised that she had come into school with half of her hair cut off. "I'm sorry, I'll get it fixed! I just didn't have time las-"

"What happened, Mami," Saotome interrupted. "You take far too much pride in your appearance than to just show up to school lopsided like that. I imagine the rumour mill is already spinning."

"I…" She couldn't tell her the truth, that her missing friend had done this to her. "I was trimming my hair slightly with some scissors, just to keep it in line. My hand slipped, and…" She shrugged. "It happens."

"Hm…" Saotome stood up and walked around the desk. Standing in front of her, she reached over and felt the sliced hair with her fingers. "The cut is rather clean for a slip."

Mami inwardly winced.

"And you strike me as someone who doesn't need to resort to trimming to control your hair, you take far too good care of it." The teacher moved her hair to the side slightly, exposing the small, but noticeable cut left by Kyouko's spear, just missing her temple. Saotome looked back at Mami and let out a long sigh. "Mami, do you need me to set up an early appointment with your psychologist?"

"No!" Mami said, realising too late that she said it far too quickly. "I'm fine, really!"

Saotome shook her head slightly, clearly not believing her. "I know things have been tough for you, Mami. Between the car crash, having to live by yourself, and getting tied up with the police after that fire in Kazamino, the school had no choice but to hold you back a year level. And then after your friend… vanished… you've had a rough few years."

"It's fine, really," Mami replied, trying to keep her voice steady. She just wanted this conversation to end already. "Just bad luck. A lot of bad luck."

Saotome took her hand and gripped it. "Remember, you still have a bright future ahead of you, and so much to live for. And I'm here for you, you are not alone in your struggle. If you need help, or just someone to talk to, just ask."

Mami shifted nervously, then took a step away, out of her grip, and bowed again. "Thank you for your concern, Sensei. Is that all?"

Saotome's arm fell to her side, and rather dejectedly, she nodded. "That is all, Miss Tomoe. You may go."

After leaving the classroom, Mami bypassed the lockers, instead heading for the bathroom. She entered the tiled room and, after a quick glance to make sure she was alone, she walked to the closest sink, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She could feel her remaining drill curl weighing down the left side of her head, and there it was in the mirror, just as noticeable as Saotome had indicated. It looked ridiculous. What was she thinking?

A rush of of emotion swept over Mami as she slammed her fist against the wall, cracking the tile under it. What _WAS_ she thinking! Kyouko almost killed her last night! She'd seen it in her eyes, that _creature_ wanted nothing more that to kill her. The only reason that she was alive was because her torment wasn't finished, Kyouko still hadn't taken enough from her.

But what else was there to take? Her possessions? She didn't need those. Her remaining friends? No one even bothered speaking to her anymore. No, she wanted something she held close to her heart, something that she so foolishly confessed to her _friend_ when she first trained her. She wanted her territory. She wanted Mitakihara.

She felt her anger boiling under her skin. No, that was something she would not sacrifice. After she contracted, she swore to protect this city from EVERY threat posed to it. She would not abandon this place and leave it at the mercy of that evil monster. No, she had left this problem alone for far too long, and because of her, Kazamino suffered. It was time to end it.

' _If you go after Kyouko Sakura again in your current state, you'll lose.'_

Mami grimaced, looking up in the mirror before catching his glowing red eyes on top of the bathroom stalls. "I don't have a choice, Kyubey."

The white cat-like creature jumped down from the stalls out of sight, before reappearing on the sink on the edge of her periphery. _'You were unable to save that woman from Kyouko Sakura last night. She has likely already been drained of blood and killed. Kyouko will be at full strength again tonight.'_

"I just underestimated her, that's all," Mami replied. "It won't happen again."

' _You went against my advice last night and just charged in unprepared,'_ Kyubey said, pressing further. _'Expecting to win this time just because you say you won't be beaten is irrational.'_

Mami turned to him. "Then what do _you_ suggest I do, Kyubey? Leave her alone? Let her keep killing?"

' _That is not what I'm recommending,'_ Kyubey replied, his tail waving behind him. _'I am simply pointing out that you are unlikely to win without preparing yourself properly.'_

Mami grimaced, but relented. He was right. She knew the value of preparation and strategy, she had drilled that lesson into Kyouko herself. She'd be a fool to ignore Kyubey's advice on the matter. Especially when he could have valuable information about her adversary. "So prepare me. What is she really? Tell me everything!"

Kyubey's eyes flashed. _'She has become a part of a species that emerged at the egress of the technological era referred to as the Bronze Age. The first attacks on humans began in the Mycenaean Civilisation, and spread along trade routes to the rest of the world. They were called many names, but the one that suits them best today is-'_

"Vampire," Mami finished.

' _Indeed,'_ Kyubey continued. _'These creatures are aberrations that are trapped between life and death. They are not alive, and yet they appear to be unable to die. They feed off the life energy of living creatures, similar to witches and familiars, but instead of stimulating and consuming negative emotions, they attack the soul directly through the blood of their victims. While it is not always immediately fatal, the severe blood loss is enough to finish off most victims. They have incredible strength and speed, and possess senses that rival that of Magical Girls.'_

"They must have weaknesses," Mami said.

Kyubey nodded. _'We have observed that they have a hard time healing from injuries, although few wounds inflicted are fatal. Sunlight burns them, but the damage is ultimately only skin deep, with vital organs usually undamaged. It does weaken them significantly though, enough to give you the edge you need.'_

Mami shook her head. "Kyouko wouldn't be stupid enough to let a fight drag on long enough for the sun to come out. But… maybe if I could get a ribbon on her and keep her tied down, I could keep her in the fight long enough for the sunrise to affect her."

' _Unfortunately, on top of everything else, vampires have an unmatched resistance to magic, exponentially increasing the amount of magic you'll need to be effective. If you were to use your proposed strategy, you would need a completely clean Soul Gem, and a large surplus of Grief Seeds to cover any mistakes you make or unexpected attacks from Kyouko. I predict you'll need at least ten Grief Seeds to cover all potential counterattacks.'_

"I see…" Mami grimaced. Ten Grief Seeds… that was impossible! Even if she stopped hunting familiars, it would still take her weeks, maybe even months to gather that many. Kazamino didn't have that time, she had left it too long already. "There has to be something more than just pure strength. Anything would help!"

Kyubey tail waved back and forth, his expression unchanging. _'We are not the only ones to have noticed the presence of Vampires in the world. Over the ages, many groups of humans have banded together to try and push the vampire threat back, but every time they are beaten, prevented from accomplishing their goal of eradication. Then a century or two later their descendants try again. It is a vicious cycle. The last attempted organised resistance was in the last century, falling to the vampires within fifteen years.'_

Mami frowned. "So they're dead. How does that help?"

Kyubey shook his head. _'Not all of them died. Some still live, isolated and alone, but alive. And those that are alive possess the knowledge you require to win your fight.'_

Mami's eyes widened. "So, if I can contact one of these people, I can get their help? How do I reach them?"

' _Contacting one of them will not be easy. They are reclusive and very paranoid,'_ Kyubey said. _'However, I am aware that a few are still actively hunting and willing to help those in need, for a price, to cover the costs of their fight. I suggest you focus on looking for evidence of their actions in the past few decades, and work back from there.'_

Mami looked over at Kyubey and nodded. "Ok, I'll do that. Thank you, Kyubey. Really."

Kyubey's expression remained fixed, but he did tilt his head slightly in an almost pleased way, before he jumped off the sink and vanished from sight.

Looking back at her reflection, Mami let out a sigh. She wished that she was more like Kyubey, calm, collected, and in complete control of her emotions. She couldn't just rush into a fight like that again, she'd just end up dead. She needed focus, and clarity of thought.

She looked at her hair again, before scowling and snapping her fingers. Her hair briefly glowed as she dispelled her magic, before it quickly fell out of its curl and settled behind her back. She turned, examining her new hairstyle, before moving her hands through it, roughing it up a bit. There, now no one would think twice about her change of appearance. The right side of her hair was still noticeably shorter than the rest, but this way she could at least try to make it work. Maybe something with her ribbons...

Nodding to herself, she turned back to the door, and winced. The tile where she had slammed her fist was cracked, badly, and there wasn't much she could do to disguise the damage beside scold herself for overreacting like that. Sighing again, she walked out of the bathroom back into the school. She'd just have to hope that no one noticed for a while.

Kyubey definitely had the right idea.

Again ignoring her locker, she headed into one of the school computer labs. Despite being open during lunch, there weren't many students in here working, most preferring to socialise rather than try to do extra schoolwork. Sitting down in front of one furthest from the door, Mami logged in and opened up a search engine. After thinking for a moment, she narrowed her search to news articles from the past thirty years and typed in the words _'Vampire Slayer'_.

* * *

 **In case it wasn't obvious already, no, this story will not have timely updates, just like all the others. I will try though :)**

 **If you wish to be notified when a new story comes out, give the story a follow, and if you like it, let me know what I'm doing right and wrong in a review.**


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